Before Ash Wednesday rings in at midnight tonight, Mardis Gras culminates with one final celebration.
French for Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras originally referred to the practice of one last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual 40-day fasting of the Lenten season.
Our culture has turned Mardis Gras into week-long festivals. From parades and balls to masks and elaborate costumes, it's the cue for many to overindulge in all sorts of ways.
If you've ever seen New Orleans at 11:59 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, the streets sit ankle deep in discarded masks, broken beads, trampled doubloons, and used food and drink containers.
Fat Tuesday creates a lot of trash.
As we enter our churches tomorrow to begin the 40-days of Lent, we drag our trash in with us. The junk in our lives we've accumulated since last year's Lent.
Stinks up relationships.
Sullies our souls with the refuse of regrets, waste of missed opportunities, and rubbish of shattered dreams.
But God still invites us.
As we approach Him, eyes downcast, stumbling on the trash that chokes our freedom, He welcomes us.
He invites us to discard our masks at His feet. Those elaborate disguises that conceal feelings. Hide behaviors. Keep God and others at arms length.
God sees us drowning in our trash, picks us out of the pile, cleanses us, and sets us on a new path.
"Who can compare with God, our God, so majestically enthroned, surveying His magnificent heavens and earth? He picks up the poor from out of the dirt, rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash, and seats them among the honored guests, a place of honor among the brightest and best." Psalm 113:5-8 (MSG)
He invites us to leave the used food and drink containers at the alter in exchange for His bread of life.
The communion of forgiveness.
To heal our hearts.
Redeem us from our sin.
As I prepare to walk into church tomorrow night for our Ash Wednesday service, I'm painfully aware of the rotting trash curling around my feet.
The rancid yards of it trailing behind me.
The putrid bags of it I carry in my heart.
Self-centeredness. Entitlement. Pride.
Trash.
I'm so thankful for a loving God who still welcomes. Still invites. Still initiates that relationship with me that means everything.
He excels at redeeming us from our trash.
Let's talk: What trash are you trailing? What mask are you wearing? How will you allow God to redeem you from that this Lenten season?
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A fitting reminder of our ugly sins, Donna, and our Savior's beautiful mercy. Perhaps stretching your metaphor a bit too far, I couldn't help but think about how often we recycle our trash! Thank you for a powerful devotion this morning.
ReplyDeleteBeth, I don't think you're far off at all. What a great point! Thanks for sharing that amazing insight.
DeleteWe do recycle our trash, don't we, Beth? Thankful for God's unending grace and mercy through all our cycles of life!
ReplyDeleteNancy, we do indeed. Joining you in thankfulness...
DeleteSo thankful that God cleans out our souls and takes care of our trash!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, Sharla. Where would we be? Thanks so much for stopping in.
DeleteThis was perfect! I loved how you took all the Mardi Gras junk and made it real in our lives spiritually. Loved this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouragement, Jessica!
DeleteBeautifully written, Donna. I'm forever grateful for grace.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Paula. You captured it perfectly. It's all about God's grace.
DeleteDonna,
ReplyDeleteI'm traveling & so I'm late getting to your blog. But I'm so thankful I read this.
Such a challenging post ... and I thank you for challenging me to think about today and my relationship with God ... and the next 40 days and my relationship with God -- and how will that change.
Beth, thanks so much for taking the time to stop in. I pray the next 40 days will reap immeasurable spiritual benefits for you. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. I love how you expressed how God forgives us as dirty and trashy as we can be sometimes. Then He forgives us and makes us whole again. This is why I love Him so so much!
ReplyDeleteGod bless you as you continue to express His love and His best for us...into wonderful words.
God's forgiveness frees us from our dirty trash - very well said. Thanks so much for your encouraging words and stopping by. Blessings!
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